บททั้งหมดของ Rejected By The Beta, Claimed By The Alpha King: บทที่ 91 - บทที่ 100

Athena snarled within my mind, her presence surging forward with protective fury. 'Kill threat,' she growled, golden warmth flooding my veins with aggression. 'Tear apart. Protect mate. Protect position.' I kept my face carefully neutral. The parchment felt impossibly heavy in my hand, its formal language a death sentence wrapped in tradition. I had known this was possible—had even discussed the vulnerability of my position with Lily—but facing the reality of a challenge sent ice through my veins despite Athena's heat."What exactly is the process for this?" I asked, my voice steady even as my heart hammered against my ribs. I watched Lukas's face, noting the muscle jumping in his jaw, the flash of gold in his ice-blue eyes that betrayed Ares's presence close to the surface. His fear for me was palpable, a living thing that stretched between us through our bond.'We fight. We win,' Athena insisted, her confidence undimmed by my human concerns. 'Strong wolf. Strong

I watched, every muscle in my body coiled tight as a spring, as Nico suddenly moved toward Amelia. Three days of knowing she was training with my best fighters had done nothing to ease the knot in my gut. Ares paced within my mind, his golden presence radiating protective fury. 'Stop them,' he urged. 'Protect mate.' But before I could even think to intervene, something remarkable happened. Amelia moved like water, ducking smoothly under Nico's outstretched arm and spinning behind him with a grace I hadn't known she possessed. In one fluid motion, she swept her leg, taking his feet from under him. Nico hit the training mat with a solid thud, his expression a fascinating mix of pride and wounded dignity.Amelia's laugh rang through the training room, bright and genuine despite the circumstances that had brought her here. Her copper hair had escaped its braid, wild curls framing her flushed face as she stood victorious over my head of security."Not bad for a former s

My muscles burned with familiar pain as I circled Nico in the gym, sweat trickling down my spine despite the cool air. Twenty-four hours. That's all that remained before I would face Lysander in the arena. Twenty-four hours to prepare my body, my mind, my wolf for a fight that would determine not just my future, but Lukas's as well. Athena stirred within me, her presence a warm certainty against my human doubts. 'We are ready,' she insisted, though I wasn't entirely convinced."Again," Nico commanded, his scarred face betraying nothing as he reset his stance. "You're still telegraphing your left hook. In the arena, that'll get your throat torn out."I nodded, wiping sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. We'd been at this for hours, the morning bleeding into afternoon as Nico pushed me beyond exhaustion into that strange realm where instinct took over and thought fell away. My copper hair had long since escaped its braid, plastering to my neck and shoulders in damp tendrils.

We spent the next hour reviewing every piece of intelligence Dominic had gathered—witness reports of a tall female wolf with auburn hair near attack sites, patterns of movement that could be traced back to northern territories, the timing of attacks that seemed designed to draw attention away from areas where Lysander might have been operating."If she is the Voice," I said finally, "then tomorrow's challenge is about more than just me. It's about destabilising the entire kingdom.""Precisely," Dominic agreed. "By challenging you directly, she forces us to focus our attention and resources on the arena rather than on rogue activities elsewhere. And if she succeeds—" He stopped abruptly, his eyes flicking to Lukas."If she succeeds," Lukas continued, his voice dangerously soft, "she deals me a devastating personal blow while simultaneously removing a Queen who has proven effective against rogue threats."The weight of it settled over us like a phys

For a moment, we stood in silence, the weight of what was to come hanging between us. Through the windows, the stars were beginning to fade, the darkness shifting from black to deepest blue. We had perhaps an hour before we needed to leave, before the private moments ended and the public ceremony began."I should eat something," Amelia said finally, moving toward the tray. "You're right. I'll need the strength."I watched as she tore a piece of bread, forcing herself to take small bites. Ares paced within me, his agitation growing as dawn approached. For thirty years, I had been Alpha King, my word law, my strength unquestioned. Yet on this morning, I was powerless—bound by the same ancient traditions that had given me my crown.'Can't protect,' Ares growled, his frustration bleeding into mine. 'Should be our fight.'I couldn't disagree. The prospect of watching Amelia face Lysander alone, of standing by while our mate fought for her life, violate